Tallinn City Tour

Start the tour from the highest point in Tallinn Old Town – near Toompea Castle with its 45.6-metre Tall Hermann tower – the symbol of Estonia’s independence. Today the Toompea castle is home to the Estonian parliament (the Riigikogu), however, initially it is a story of the rulers and conquerors of Estonia, each of whom enforced the place according to their own taste and interest. Pass the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral’s onion-shaped domes, the iconic feature of the Tallinn skyline and enter the Danish King’s Garden, where, according to an old legend, the national flag od Denmark appeared for the first time. Believe it or not, but every year, on the 15th of June, Dannebrog or the Day of the Danish Flag is celebrated in the garden. On the way to Kohtuotsa viewing platform, which provides unforgettable views over the red roofs and towering spires of Tallinn, make a stop in front of the St. Mary’s Cathedral, where you’ll find gravestones and coat of arms of all local noblemen dating from the 13 centuries.

Go down the Toompea hill and find yourself in the Lower Town – the urban area of merchants in the medieval epoque. By descending Lühike Jalg (Short Leg!) street, reach Niguliste Church (13 c) with its unique altars and Tallinn’s most famous artwork, a fragment of Bernt Notke’s painting the Danse Macabre (the ‘Dance of Death’). This more than five-hundred-year-old painting mediates the worldview of the Middle Ages but is still relevant today. A glass lift takes visitors to the church tower and skydeck, which offer a 360° view of the Old Town.

Tallinn Old Town tours continues at the Tallinn Town Hall square, where you will see the oldest city hall in North-Europe. In 2022 the building celebrated the 700th anniversary of its first mention in 1322. Enjoy a true medieval experience in the Town Hall Square at the candlelit III Draakon tavern, named for the three dragons adorning the Town Hall’s exterior wall (grab a pickle from the big wooden barrel and sip elk soup) and drop in Tallinn Town Hall Pharmacy – the oldest pharmacy in Europe, first mentioned in town records in 1422 where you will learn about medieval healing methods.

Enter the Catherine’s Alley, which bueatifully retains its medieval charm with a number of handicraft workshops in which you can watch the artists at work, such as creating ceramics, hats, glass, and more. Walk along the nearly 200-metre-long old defence wall with its Hellemann Tower in the immediate vicinity of the Viru Gate that once played an important role in the Tallinn defensive system. However, today Viru Gate is only one of the most popular venues for meetings and the beginning of the Viru Street. Stroll up this one of the busiest pedestrian streets in the Old Town and finish your first acquaintance with Tallinn Old Town near the Freedom Square.